US9432555B2ExpiredUtilityA1

System and method for AV sync correction by remote sensing

70
Assignee: COOPER J CARLPriority: May 16, 2003Filed: Aug 14, 2014Granted: Aug 30, 2016
Est. expiryMay 16, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:J. Carl Cooper
H04R 2499/15H04N 21/4341H04N 21/42222H04R 3/00H04N 21/2368G10L 15/00H04R 2499/11H04N 21/4307H04N 21/44008H04N 5/04H04R 27/00H04N 17/00H04N 21/43072
70
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
4
References
22
Claims

Abstract

Method and system for measuring audio video synchronization. This is done by having a remote sensing station to measure and process the audio and images from a multimedia terminal that display a television program. The remote sensing station uses an audio sensor to sense the audio signal from the multimedia station and an image sensor to sense the images displayed on the multimedia station. An AV processing circuit in the remote sensing terminal processes the signals from the audio sensor and the image sensor to determine the relative delay between the sensed audio signal and the sensed images. The delay information is then communicated to the multimedia station to adjust the AV synchronization.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal, where provided are a multimedia terminal, wherein the multimedia terminal includes at least one audio transducer, a video display, and a first communication port; a remote sensing station, wherein the remote sensing station includes an audio sensor, an image sensor, an AV processing circuit, and a second communication port; an audio content and a video content consisting of images, wherein the audio content is played back by the audio transducer(s) and the images are displayed on the video display; said method comprising the steps of:
 Sensing audible audio sound played back on a multimedia terminal transducer and sensing visible video images displayed on said multimedia terminal video display with an audio sensor and a video sensor respectively; 
 in response to sound sensed by said audio sensor and images sensed by said video sensor, measuring a lip sync timing difference between the audio played back on the audio transducer(s) and the video displayed on the video display using the AV processing circuit; communicating the timing difference from said AV processing circuit to said multimedia terminal via communications ports; 
 correcting the audio video synchronization of the audio sound and video images provided by the multimedia terminal based on said measured timing difference. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the audio sensor of the remote sensing station is located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       3. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor of the remote sensing station is located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       4. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the audio sensor and the image sensor of the remote sensing station are located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       5. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the first communication port and the second communication port are bi-directional. 
     
     
       6. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the AV processing circuit detects audio MuEv's from the audio sensed by the audio sensor, detects video MuEv's from the images sensed by the image sensor, and estimates the timing difference based on the audio MuEv's and the video MuEv's. 
     
     
       7. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal, where provided are a multimedia terminal, wherein the multimedia terminal includes at least one audio transducer, a video display, and a first communication port; a remote sensing station, wherein the remote sensing station includes an audio sensor, an image sensor, an AV processing circuit, and a second communication port; an audio content and a video content consisting of images, wherein the audio content is played back by the audio transducer(s) and the images are displayed on the video display; said method comprising the steps of:
 sensing the audible audio sounds played back by the audio transducer(s) and the image sensor to sense the visible images displayed on the video display; 
 in response to said sensing measuring timing difference between the audio played back on the audio transducer(s) and the video displayed on the video display using the AV processing circuit; 
 displaying the measured timing difference on an LCD display for a user to view; 
 communicating an AV timing correction information sent by the user from a second communication port to a first communication port; and 
 correcting the audio video synchronization of the multimedia terminal based on the AV timing correction instruction received. 
 
     
     
       8. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 7 , wherein the first communication port is bi-directional. 
     
     
       9. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 7 , wherein the AV processing circuit detects audio MuEv's from the audio sensed by the audio sensor, detects video MuEv's from the images sensed by the image sensor, and estimates the timing difference based on the audio MuEv's and the video MuEv's. 
     
     
       10. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 7 , wherein the AV timing correction information includes an AV timing adjustment amount. 
     
     
       11. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 7 , wherein the AV timing correction information includes the timing difference measured and an instruction for the multimedia terminal to correct the audio video synchronization automatically. 
     
     
       12. A system for correcting audio video synchronization, comprising:
 a multimedia terminal for displaying a multimedia content including at least one audio transducer, a video display, and a first communication port, wherein the multimedia content containing an audio content and a video content consisting of images, the audio content is played back by the audio transducer(s) and the images are displayed on the video display; and 
 a remote sensing station including an audio sensor, an image sensor, an AV processing circuit, and a second communication port, wherein the audio sensor senses the audible audio sound played back by the audio transducer(s), the image sensor senses the visible images displayed on the video display, the AV processing circuit measures a timing difference between the audible audio sound played back on the audio transducer(s) and the visible video displayed on the video display; 
 wherein the remote sensing station communicates the measured timing difference from the second communication port to the first communication port; and 
 the multimedia terminal corrects the audio video synchronization of the visible displayed images and audible audio sound based on the measured timing difference. 
 
     
     
       13. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 12 , wherein the audio sensor of the remote sensing station is located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       14. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 12 , wherein the image sensor of the remote sensing station is located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       15. A method for correcting audio video synchronization for a multimedia terminal as in  claim 1 , wherein the audio sensor and the image sensor of the remote sensing station are located inside the multimedia terminal. 
     
     
       16. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 12 , wherein the first communication port and the second communication port are bi-directional. 
     
     
       17. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 12 , wherein the AV processing circuit detects audio MuEv's from the audio sensed by the audio sensor, detects video MuEv's from the images sensed by the image sensor, and estimates the timing difference based on the audio MuEv's and the video MuEv's. 
     
     
       18. A system for correcting audio video synchronization, comprising:
 a multimedia terminal for displaying a multimedia content including at least one audio transducer, a video display, and a first communication port, wherein the multimedia content containing an audio content and a video content consisting of images, the audio content is audibly played back by the audio transducer(s) and the images are visibly displayed on the video display; 
 a remote sensing station including an audio sensor, an image sensor, and an AV processing circuit, wherein the audio sensor senses the audible audio played back by the audio transducer(s), the image sensor senses the visible images displayed on the video display, the AV processing circuit estimates timing difference between the audio played back on the audio transducer(s) and the video displayed on the video display; and 
 a remote control, co-located with the remote sensing station, wherein the remote control includes a second communication port capable of bidirectional communication, and an LCD display; 
 wherein the timing difference measured is displayed on the LCD for a user to view; 
 receiving AV timing correction information from the second communication port to the first communication port; and 
 the multimedia terminal corrects the audio video synchronization based on the AV timing correction information received. 
 
     
     
       19. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 18 , wherein the AV processing circuit detects audio MuEv's from the audio sensed by the audio sensor, detects video MuEv's from the images sensed by the image sensor, and estimates the timing difference based on the audio MuEv's and the video MuEv's. 
     
     
       20. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 18 , wherein the AV timing correction information includes an AV timing adjustment amount. 
     
     
       21. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 18 , wherein the AV timing correction information includes the timing difference measured and an instruction for the multimedia terminal to correct the AV timing automatically. 
     
     
       22. A system for correcting audio video synchronization as in  claim 18 , wherein the first communication port is bi-directional.

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